The Bird of Bludhaven
by BludhavenKnightA37
Summary: While most of Team Arrow are away in Central City, Arsenal makes a trip to Bludhaven on a friend's request. But when he finds more than he bargained for, can he get help from Bludhaven's resident Knight? Please read and review!
1. Issue 1: Welcome to Bludhaven

_**A/N:** Hey everyone! I'm Bludhaven_Knight_A37, or BKA37. I'm just an aspiring writer with a bunch of stories to tell. After falling in love with "Arrow", I've been wondering: what would the Arrowverse's Nightwing look like? Here's what I hope to explore! I'm by no means providing a definitive Arrowverse Nightwing, but this is a topic that I'm curious to see unfold. If you could leave me some feedback, it'd help me with my writing, but more importantly, it'd let me know if y'all are interested in seeing the Knight of Bludhaven in the Arrowverse. Other than that, I'll see y'all in the next issue!_

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><p>Newspapers floated in the breeze as a lone figure dressed in red jumped from rooftop to rooftop. He was no stranger to the rooftop express- in fact, in this city, it was probably safer than strolling the streets. Everything was quiet, but that's exactly when everything's dangerous. That's something Oliver had taught him about patrolling Starling City, and who knows how much more dangerous it was in the city you never want to stay in: Bludhaven.<p>

It's not like Arsenal wanted to _be_ in Bludhaven for no reason. In fact, he would've much rather just stay in Starling City. The streets were familiar, and though there'd be an increased work load with Oliver, Felicity, and Diggle being in Central City, he knew he could handle most any street thug, whether he was downtown or in the Glades.

Still… Sin _had_ contacted him. Said something about Vertigo beginning to pop up in Bludhaven. That crazy drug was something far too personal for the members of their team, and he had to at least check it out. He owed it to his friend to check it out.

Arsenal hadn't been in Bludhaven long- he'd gotten off the bus a few hours ago, checked into a seedy motel a few minutes after that, and began patrolling immediately. He couldn't find any evidence of any drug deals… but then again, he couldn't find any evidence of, well, _anything_. That was weird, to say the least. Suspicious.

He was beginning to consider calling Felicity for help when he hit a jackpot. A long dealer handing out what looked like a packet of pills to a couple of teenagers. From his vantage point on the rooftop he couldn't tell what the color of the pills were, but whether they were Vertigo or not, he figured he could try and get something out of the dealer. Taking an arrow from his quiver, he notched it on his bow's drawstring and aimed for the bag…

"This is some top-quality stuff," the dealer grinned to the teenagers. "Well worth the high price, guaranteed."

"I thought Vertigo was a Starling thing?" one of the teenagers asked. "And wasn't the guy behind it taken down by that vigilante in the hood?"

"Ah, but that's what you don't get about drugs, kids," the dealer remarked. "The Count's gone, but his legacy lives on. And this Vertigo- Vertigo 3.0- it's even better than the last kind of Vertigo they had in Starling. So, if you just show me the money-"

There was a _whoosh_ in the air as the arrow flew from Arsenal's bow and struck the bag, taking it out of the dealer's hand and pinning it to the ground. Startled, the teenagers made a run for it, disappearing into the night streets. Meanwhile, the dealer quickly pulled a handgun from his inner coat pocket, waving it around as he looked for the source of the shot.

"An arrow!?" the dealer yelled. "What're you doing here in Bludhaven, psycho? Getting tired of your darling Starling?"

While the dealer looked for the unknown archer, Arsenal flipped his way down to ground level. Quickly notching another arrow, he shot it at the dealer, knocking the gun from the dealer's hand. He then advanced on the scowling dealer with another arrow notched, pointed straight at the dealer's head, and growled in a deep voice, "The Vertigo. Where are you getting it?"

"Screw you, kid!" the dealer spat. "You're not that Arrow guy- You're just his little sidekick."

"And you're about to be a pin cushion," Arsenal said back. "Now tell me-"

Before he could even finish his sentence, he heard the rustle of feet, and a group of thugs wearing leather jackets and brandishing assault rifles appeared from behind him. Thinking quickly, he dove out of their opening volley, taking shelter behind a nearby a nearby dumpster. As the bullets pounded the dumpster, Arsenal notched an explosive arrow. He knew that he'd have one shot- one shot to blow the explosive arrow in front of them, to distract them and give him a better vantage point. Or at the very least, to a different cover spot.

"Looks like this is it for you, kid!" the dealer taunted, grabbing his gun and aiming it at Arsenal. He knew he couldn't shoot the explosive arrow at the dealer- it was too much firepower for one guy. The dealer was about to pull the trigger as Arsenal began changing the arrow. He might not make it in time.

"Finally, some action!" a confident voice suddenly said. The sudden outburst, ringing from nowhere, stopped everyone in their tracks. Something flew through the air and embedded itself in the dealer's hand, forcing him to drop the handgun in pain. It looked like a metallic bird.

Suddenly, a figure dropped behind the gang of thugs with assault rifles. Arsenal couldn't see him from behind his dumpster cover, but he could hear the results. Grunts of pain and guns firing into the air, bullets hitting nothing as thugs dropped to the ground. When the last body dropped, Arsenal peeked out from his cover to see a man in all black. He had some padding on his shoulders, arms, and shins, and what looked like two sticks protruding from his back. He had short hair with bangs that stuck slightly outward, and a mask not unlike Arsenal's, but black and with points from the ends. On his chest was a symbol: a blue bird.

"Slow down, Speedy! You haven't even been in my city for a few hours, and already you're getting in trouble, huh?" the figure asked.

Bewildered, Arsenal asked, "Who are you?"

Instead of answering, the man just smiled. "I'll answer that some other time. The haven's still too quiet for a typical night. Stay out of trouble in my city, Arsenal."

And before Arsenal could say another word, the figure flipped away and into the darkness, leaving the red archer with only one thought: who was that guy?


	2. Issue 2: Arsenal Alone?

_**A/N:** Hey everybody. Sorry I'm a bit late with updating this story. I've gotten a bit sick recently, so I've been trying to recuperate. I'm working on this when I can, and I'll update as soon as I can. In the meantime: how did I capture Felicity? She's one of my favorite characters, so I REALLY hope I did her justice. What do you think?_

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><p>It was late, though early for a night out on patrol. Roy dropped his bow and quiver beside his bed and plopped down, a long sigh escaping his mouth. It was a good thing he didn't bring anything with him, since there wasn't even a lock on his door. He figured he'd try and get some sleep, but there were more pressing issues at hand. Taking out his communicator, he pressed it, sending a signal straight to Felicity.<p>

After a few seconds, Felicity answered from the other end, asking, "Hey Roy. What's up? Everything alright in Starling?"

"Yeah," Roy answered. "Actually, I'm not in Starling right now. I'm… I'm in Bludhaven."

"Bludhaven? What're you doing in the Bloody Haven?"

"I got a tip- something about Vertigo popping up. I thought I'd check it out."

"And? Did you find anything?"

"I might have… I interrogated this drug dealer. He said something about 'Avalon'. Could you do a search for me?"

"Hmm…" There was silence for a few minutes, before she said, "Two neighborhoods: Avalon Hill and Avalon Heights. Sorry I can't give you anything more specific."

"It's alright. This should be fine."

"Hey Roy? Be careful, alright? I know I don't have to remind you how much it would suck to… to lose another weapon in our arsenal. Because that would really suck-"

"Don't worry Felicity. I understand," Roy said, chuckling in spite of himself. "I'll take care. See you guys back at Starling." He pressed the communicator again, shutting it off, before rubbing his eyes over his mask. Although he was pretty tired, he had a lead now on where to go to find the source of the Vertigo. Should he go for it? Or maybe take a breather, rest for a few hours? He didn't want to stay in Bludhaven too long, but Oliver wouldn't send him out if his head wasn't in the game, which it technically wasn't right now.

As he tried to determine what he'd do, a voice from his window said, "You look like crap. Coffee?"

Instinctually, Roy rolled over to the far side of the room, towards the wall and away from the window, grabbing his bow and quiver along the way. Notching an arrow was second nature to him now, and he aimed his drawn bow towards the source of the voice.

There he was- the guy from earlier. Same hair, same suit, same symbol. "You didn't answer me earlier," Arsenal began. "Who are you?"

"I'm to this city what you and the Arrow are to Starling, and what The Flash is to Central City," the man said. Once again he offered a cup of coffee that was in his hand. "Now, you didn't answer my question. You look like crap. Coffee? You're gonna need it if you're gonna go out again."

"How can I trust that's coffee?" Arsenal asked.

"Really? Fine." The man took a sip from the cup, before offering it once more.

"That doesn't prove anything."

"Well, you're smart. I can give you that. Now, why don't you take it for yourself and smell the roast?"

Slowly, Arsenal moved towards the cup, lowering his bow when the other masked man did nothing. Taking the cup, he smelled the strong brew of the coffee, then tentatively took a sip. When his taste buds and nerves confirmed it was coffee, he gave his thanks, before drinking the rest of the cup.

"So, are you gonna check out the Avalons?" the man asked.

"Might as well. I'd like to get out of here as soon as I can."

"That's a good mindset. After all, when Hell is a promotion to this place and it's a compliment, you probably wouldn't want to stay long here."

"So then, why do you?"

The man was silent for a few moments. For once, the smile had left his face.

"Because I was sent to this city, and I decided to make it my city."

Arsenal nodded. "Thanks for the coffee," he said, before throwing the cup away in the trash can. Feeling his second wind just starting, he made sure he had all his equipment, before pulling his hood over his head once more. "Now, I've got some Vertigo to plug."

"Don't worry, I'll catch up to you later," the man waved. Arsenal marched down the stairs, and once the man confirmed that he had left the building, he entered the apartment and picked up the discarded cup of coffee. He produced a plastic zip lock bag and placed the cup inside it.

As he sealed it, he muttered to himself, "I oughta be able to analyze this at home. So… who exactly are you, Arsenal…?"


	3. Issue 3: Odds

"This better be it," Arsenal muttered to himself. Having searched all of Avalon Heights for any suspicious Vertigo related activity, he found that while there was a lot of suspicious activity- a disturbing amount, really; were there even any laws in this town?- there was none that had any ties to Vertigo. Remembering that he was in town for a reason, he resisted the urge to do his thing of beating up bad guys and move on in search for the Vertigo. Taking to the rooftops, he flipped and zip lined his way through a few of Avalon Hill's blocks, before finding a particularly interesting building.

From the outside, it looked like an abandoned multi-floor apartment. However, there were two armed guards with assault rifles standing outside the front door, and Arsenal could see shadows moving that indicated more guards on the upper floors. From his vantage point across the street, he could also see briefcases being brought inside by shady-looking people- including the drug dealer from earlier that night.

"Perfect," Arsenal grinned. Taking a quick mental count of the amount of guards he could see, and guessing that there'd be a few more inside, he thought that while there was around ten armed guards, he could handle them if he took them on one by one, or two at one at the most. Just isolate them, and take them out. Easy. Oliver wouldn't approve of him storming the castle alone, but it wasn't like he had any backup- he still didn't know who that guy with the bird on his chest was, nor if he could trust him. And while ten on one were bad odds, two on one was a lot more favorable.

He drew in a deep breath. He notched an arrow on his bow. Steadying his sights, he planned in his mind what would happen. Arsenal took aim.

Arsenal fired.

The arrow whistled through the air and buried itself in the shoulder of one of the armed guards, taking him down to the ground. As the other guard reacted to the surprise, a second arrow flew and made its home in the other guard's shoulder, taking him to the ground too. Arsenal then launched a zip line arrow and descended to in front of the abandoned apartment. Making his way up while sticking to the shadows, he quickly and stealthily took out each armed guard he came across- an arrow for a shoulder, then proceeding to the guard and making sure they were knocked out.

When he had finally made it to the top, he thought he hit the jackpot: there were lab tables, chemical instruments, and lots and lots of those green and purple pills. Surprisingly, there weren't any people inside. Maybe there were on a midnight meal break or something, Arsenal thought to himself. He took an explosive arrow and began thinking of where he should let loose when he suddenly felt a piercing pain from his neck.

"You should learn to be more stealthy, little red riding hood," a voice from behind him taunted. Arsenal pushed off from behind him and turned to face his attacker, but it was too late. His vision began to blur, and while he felt like he was losing control of his limbs, he still felt conscious- barely conscious.

"The original Vertigo gave you an unimaginable high," the voice began. "The one that came out three months after the Count disappeared was more high risk, high reward. A few weeks ago, the version that began to be pushed came with a kind of… fear inducing effect, without the high. But you see, _my_ Vertigo will give you a high that the original could never reach. You'll never want for anything else, I guarantee it. And the only thing I ask for in return is simple: your mind."

Arsenal's attacker chuckled, then made a _tut-tut _ sound. "There is a new Count, my friend. A new Count Vertigo. Now, be a good little boy and drop your bow."

Arsenal couldn't think straight. Couldn't move his body. And yet… it moved on its own? It dropped his bow.

"Good. Now bow before your Count, boy."

Once again, without even moving his body, Arsenal's body moved on its own. It kneeled in front of the man that did this to him. He couldn't let it end like this- he had to fight back! He'd been in worse situations before, and nothing could be worse than the Mirakuru. He could fight back. He could!

And yet… and yet it felt so good. Whatever was in that syringe made Arsenal feel _so_ good. Why did he need to fight back? He didn't need to do anything. He just had to enjoy this sensation…

From his perch outside the building, the man with the bird on his chest gritted his teeth. "Not good."

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><p><em><strong>AN: **Looks like things aren't looking good for Arsenal. Can he break free out of his drug-induced state? Will the new Count Vertigo get his comeuppance? And- serious question here- what should Nightwing's Arrowverse name be? Like, you know how Green Arrow's just The Arrow, Black Canary's just The Canary... well, Nightwing doesn't have a color in his name, so I can't drop that... perhaps I should add a color to his name instead? Blue Nightwing! XD_

_Find out next time on: Super Friends! (I'm just kidding. But seriously, find out the answer to the first two questions next issue, coming soon.)_


	4. Issue 4: Titans

"I've got to do something, fast!" the man muttered quickly.

"Wait! Don't go rushing in without backup!" a voice urgently whispered in his ear.

"I don't need backup," the man reminded the person on the other end. "There's a reason this is _my_ town, remember?"

"… Just be careful, Dick. You see what he's done to Arsenal. He could do that to you too."

"I'll be careful, Babs."

The man took out binoculars and looked in the building for any more bodies, finding that the only active ones were the new Count Vertigo and Arsenal himself. When he was finished, he returned the binoculars to his belt, took out a grappling line, and launched it at the abandoned building. Once the line had embedded itself in the wall, he swung from his perch and into the room, breaking through the window and surprising the two within the apartment building.

Standing tall after his roll inside, the man taunted, "Hey, mind giving me some of that?"

Count Vertigo snarled. "I've got more important business to deal with than you, blue bird. Take care of him, my loyal vassal, and I'll give you more of what you seek."

Simply nodding, Arsenal quickly stood up and turned around, drawing his bow.

"We'll meet again, boy blunder," Count Vertigo assured the man. Saying thus, he began walking out of the room.

"If you think you're getting away that quickly-" the man began, before he was interrupted by an arrow flying straight at him. The arrow would have lodged itself in his heart, had he not grabbed the arrow right before it made impact.

"Nifty," the man remarked. "But that's a bad move." Before he could quip anything else, however, the man had to dodge another three arrows that Arsenal had launched in quick succession. Blending now to the shadows, the man bided his time, waiting to make his move.

As Arsenal stalked about with his bow drawn, the man thought of how he could snap the mind-controlled Arsenal out of his current state. If worst came to worst, he'd have to put the young hero down. How easy that'd be- well, that was an issue he'd get to if he had to get to it.

"Listen, Arsenal, you've got to fight him!" the man urged from the shadows. "I know you must be experiencing something really sweet, but you've got to get a hold of yourself! He's using you! Snap out of it!"

Unfortunately, all this had done was reveal his location. Acting out of instinct, Arsenal shot an explosive arrow at a far wall, right next to the man. When he had realized that he hadn't missed, the man quickly jumped out of the way before the arrow exploded. As his ears rang, the man snarled.

"Guess I've got no choice then," the man muttered. Reaching into his belt, he quickly pulled something out and disappeared back into the shadows. Once more Arsenal searched for him, however this time the man didn't speak. Had Arsenal any control over his nerves, he might begin to feel unnerved- however, as it was, he simply continued searching, his mind under the influence of pure ecstasy as his body moved with a mind of its own.

Using this and the shadows to his advantage, the man launched his weapon- a metallic bird similar to the one that had disarmed the drug dealer when they had first met. It flew through the air and cut right through the string of Arsenal's bow, before cutting through Arsenal's cheek. With his bow rendered useless, Arsenal dropped the bow and pulled out two sticks from his suit.

"Wanna play my game, huh?" the man seriously questioned, emerging from the shadows with two sticks of his own. "Guess I'll have to teach you a lesson." Moving in quickly, the man leapt at the mind-controlled hero, engaging him. The battle should have been longer- indeed, if Arsenal had control over his mind, he might have made the battle last longer. But he was still vastly inexperienced in comparison to Oliver, and while Oliver was good with Eskrima, this was the man's forte. And a master of Eskrima over a body acting more out of instinct led to a quick battle, with the man easily knocking out Arsenal.

"I'm sorry about this. I'd go after Vertigo, but I've got to analyze your blood and synthesize an antidote first," the man muttered. "Besides, we've got to get you patched up." Picking up the unconscious Arsenal and slinging him over his back, the man said to his earpiece, "Hey Babs, I might need some help."

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><p><em><strong>AN:** Hey everyone! Two questions: 1) Who'd win in an Eskrima match, Arrowverse Oliver or Nightwing? 2) How do you feel about the length of these snippets? Could you handle a longer one? Would you prefer a longer one? Are they just short enough? (Yes, there's a reason for this second one ;) )_


	5. Issue 5: Nightwing

For how long he was out, he didn't know, but the first thing Arsenal felt was the absence of that pleasant feeling, followed swiftly by the pain in his head- and all over the rest of his body. It was like whenever Oliver had kicked his ass in training, but a lot worse. He opened his eyes and tried to get up, but a voice commanded, "Don't get up- you're still recovering."

Ignoring the command, Roy grunted until he was in a sitting up position. Opening his eyes, he found himself in an unfamiliar apartment. It wasn't too shabby, and in fact looked pretty commonplace, save for the kitchen being filled with all sorts of test tubes and whatnot, with the table being where he found himself awakening. Checking on himself, he found that while he still had his suit, his mask was off, lying on a nearby countertop.

"Where am I?" Roy asked.

"My place," a voice said. Roy turned around to find the man with the bird on his chest walking in with some sort of liquid. "Sorry Roy, but I had to take you here after your encounter with Count Vertigo. Now drink up."

Handing the glass with the green liquid to Roy, he waited until his younger compatriot took a drink. When all that accomplished was warrant a raised eyebrow, the man explained, "It's the antidote to the Vertigo you got hopped up on. I don't know if it's fully flushed out of your system yet, and I'm just making sure it is."

Reluctantly, Roy took a drink from the glass. Fighting the urge to throw up, he exclaimed, "That tastes disgusting!"

"Sorry it's not cherry flavored," the man joked. "I just whipped it up- I didn't exactly have the time to flavor it."

Nodding in both appreciation and understanding, Roy continued to drink the antidote, though it didn't help that it still tasted like week-old piss. In between tiny mouth-fulls, Roy asked, "Will you finally tell me who you are?"

"Don't see why not, Harper," the man responded. "My name is Dick Grayson, and like I said, this is my city. I've been looking over this town for a few years now."

"Wait, how come I've never heard of you then?"

"Do you really think news of some sort vigilante would spread out of Bludhaven? Besides, the police don't really believe I exist- I guess they think I'm some sort of myth right now or something. Kinda ironic, really."

"Ironic? How?"

"Ironic considering who I used to roll with," Dick answered cryptically.

A thought suddenly struck Roy. "Wait, are you saying you're not the only other vigilante?'

"Did you really think you, Oliver Queen, Sara Lance, and Barry Allen were the only ones running around at night with masks on?" Dick teased with a smile. "You're not alone- you just don't know about everyone else yet."

"But then, who else is out there?" Roy asked.

"Something I might tell you in time. For now, take your medicine and get your butt back to Starling," Dick answered. "I'm sorry that we weren't able to get Count Vertigo, but since he is still active, he might head for Starling. I don't know when the rest of your team will get back, but you should be there when they do."

"Yeah, you're right." Roy finished taking the antidote, then picked up his mask, putting it back on. "Where's my bow?"

"By the door," Dick answered. "I repaired it while you were out."

Roy thanked Dick, then picked up his bow. Before heading out, he asked two more questions. "By the way, how'd you know who I was?"

"Felicity Smoak isn't the only computer genius in the vigilante community," Dick grinned.

"Fair enough. But what are you called? I'm guessing Robin or something by that bird on your chest."

"Robins aren't blue, dumbass," Dick chuckled. "Though who knows? Maybe I'll color it red sometime." Dick took a moment to ponder the question, however. "You know, I've never really considered that. Criminals never needed to know my name, and the people I used to roll with just called me Dick. I guess you could call me by the codename some of the cops who think I'm real have begun calling me.

"Guess you could call me: Nightwing."

-X-

**Within a dark location…**

A figure stared at the city outside. "The Arrow… The Canary… The Flash… The Bird of Bludhaven… as each day passes, the amount of masks grow. But now… their time is up!"

**The adventure continues in ****_Nightwing_**.

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><p><em><strong>AN:** Hey everyone! I hope you enjoyed my introductory crossover to Arrowverse Nightwing, "The Bird of Bludhaven". Please feel free to leave me feedback on it- I'd love to hear back from y'all so that I can craft a good Arrowverse Nightwing series- y'know, a series that Nightwing deserves._

_And don't worry- I'll be back with **Nightwing** (hopefully) soon. I hope to deliver a written version of what you'd expect to see when tuning in to watch "Arrow" or "The Flash", complete with- yes- intro narration. XD But you'll just have to tune in and see what happens when it comes out. Until then, I hope y'all have an awesome day!_

**UPDATE: _Nightwing_ takes flight Thursday, January 22, 2015.**


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